Arlington TX insurance salvage auctions have become popular targets for discount autos. Most people avoid insurance salvage auctions because the vehicles have already been totaled. While this is true, there are still a variety of benefits the average person can gain by looking into salvage auctions for discount autos. As the central hub, Arlington TX not only features vehicles from within the city limits but also the surrounding area. This provides far larger listings and more opportunities to find discount autos.
What to Expect From Arlington TX Insurance Salvage Auctions
In most ways Arlington TX insurance salvage auctions are exactly the same as traditional public auto auctions. The only difference is every vehicle has a salvage title rather than a clean title. If a vehicle has a salvage title, then it has been totaled out by the insurance company. A total vehicle doesn’t mean the vehicle no longer runs. It simply means the total cost of repairs was within 75 percent of the vehicles actual value. For more expensive cars, hail damage can be more than enough for an insurance company to justify totaling the vehicle.
- There Will Almost Always Be Some Type of Damage
The most important thing to keep in mind when attending an Arlington TX insurance salvage auction is that there will be some type of damage to account for. Sometimes this means the vehicle may no longer run, but others could just have body damage. Regardless of what type of damage it is, it is important to be cognizant that there is almost always some type of damage. The exception to this is when the vehicle has already been repaired, but still has a salvage title. If this is the case, the car simply needs to pass certain state-mandated tests in order to get a clean title.
- Discount Autos Are the Norm
Since some type of damage is expected, the vehicles at insurance salvage auctions are always significantly cheaper than at general public auctions. It is not uncommon to find vehicles being sold for 80% to 90% less than their market value.
- The Car Will Always Come With a Salvage Title
The final thing to keep in mind is that every car sold at an insurance salvage auction will include a salvage title. While most people consider this to be common sense, it is important to keep in mind because certain mandated tests will need to be passed before the car can be legally driven on the road.
How to Get the Best Deals at an Arlington TX Insurance Salvage Auction
Finding the best deals at insurance salvage auctions requires a different approach than traditional auto auctions. The goal is to maximize the overall value of the purchase. At a salvage auction, this means the vehicles value once repaired should be higher than the cost of the vehicle, plus the estimated cost of repairs. There are a variety of different ways to accomplish this.
One of the best strategies for getting a great deal at an insurance salvage auction is by looking for cars which have an extensive amount of hail damage. Hail damage rarely affects the drivability of the vehicle. Instead the damage is entirely cosmetic. Getting the salvage title switched to a clean title is easy because the car already runs well.
When evaluating any salvage vehicle, it is important to avoid cars which may have frame damage. Frame damage often results from high-speed collisions. If the frame of the vehicle must be replaced, it will rarely be a cost effective choice. Plus, frame damage is one of the most difficult things to repair and a bent frame will make it difficult to get a clean title.
Finally, try to only purchase vehicles which still run. If there’s a problem with the engine, there is no telling what the issue actually is. This makes it nearly impossible to predict an estimated repair cost accurately.
Recent Discount Autos at Arlington TX Insurance Salvage Auctions
- 2012 Volkswagen Beetle
When repaired, this car would have an estimated value of just below $27,000. It had only 4,300 miles. The estimated repair costs were $17,500 and the winning bidder paid only $3,000.
- 2005 Mercedes-Benz C230K
This Mercedes-Benz proved to be one of the best deals of the day. It carried an estimated value of $12,000 since it had only 88,000 miles. Plus all of the damage was due to hail. The repair costs were estimated to be $7,000 and the winning bidder paid only $3,500. The best part is that no repairs were necessary to pass the state-mandated road-worthiness tests.
- 2003 BMW 325I
This BMW has some minor rear-end damage. The estimated repair costs were less than $5,000 and it was still drivable. With 144,000 miles, most people overlooked it as a potential steal. The winning bidder paid only $1,050.
As you can see when you know what to look for there are a variety of excellent deals to be found at insurance salvage auctions around Arlington T ask. A significant percentage of the listing will not meet the needs of the average person because extensive repairs will be necessary. By targeting vehicles which were total because of cosmetic damage, everyone can pay well below market value for a variety of different types of vehicles.
